Varvar (Варваръ) “The Beastly Abyss Will Kill You” (“Звериная бездна убьёт вас”) LP

As NWN! continues to unearth Eastern Bloc obscurities and present them to a broader international audience, few albums have generated such enthusiastic anticipation as Varvar’s 1994 masterpiece “The Beastly Abyss Will Kill You.” While the notion of a mid-90s heavy metal record might repel some would-be listeners, the spirit of this album is more deeply rooted in the sound of 1980s. Varvar was active from 1986 to 1990 but disbanded and reunited three years later to record their first album, only to split up again a few years after its release. With a heavy metal melodic sensibility infused with elements of speed metal, this album is perfectly situated at the nexus of those two genres. Relatively little is known about the band, but owing to both its obscurity and the uniqueness of the sound, this album has long been a Holy Grail of Russian metal among collectors. The name “Варваръ” is a reference to The Holy Martyr Barbarus (“Varvara”), a savage criminal in the first century A.D. who renounced his life of theft and murder, seeking to repent for his wicked deeds. After confessing his sins, Barbarus took flight from society, lived naked and alone in the forest for twelve years before being killed by hunters and subsequently canonized in the Orthodox Church. Similar themes permeate the lyrics on “The Beastly Abyss Will Kill You,” yet the primal aggression of the music stands in stark contrast to the holy messages in the lyrics. The riffs, heavy and melodious and sheathed in brittle distortion, supply power and momentum while Anatoly Stepanov projects his impassioned vocals in a gravelly voice reminiscent of Lemmy or Maurizio “Angus” Bidoli of Fingernails. There is nothing extraneous or unnecessary on this album. It is unadulterated—a pure distillation of the raw components of heavy metal. Varvar could have achieved greater success during their existence, but they broke up just before a number of shows were scheduled in Russia and abroad, including an opening slot for Aria that was canceled after Aria’s manager died under suspicious circumstances. For decades, “The Beastly Abyss Will Kill You” was nearly unknown outside of Russia. Because the original LP is exceedingly rare and few made their way outside of the country, only the most ardent underground record collectors were aware of it, much less able to obtain physical copies. This reissue aims to correct this deficiency and resurrect the mighty Varvar.